


sparks

by introvertednerd



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, fashion competition AU, jumping aboard the ladynoir/adrinette train
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-03 19:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5304356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/introvertednerd/pseuds/introvertednerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Marinette Dupain-Cheng competes in a fashion design competition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Please note, that many liberties were taken with the whole fashion reality TV set up. I based most of it on my knowledge from watching Project Runway.

Marinette could barely open her eyes as her alarm clock beeped. As a non morning person, waking up at 5 am (EVERY.DAY.) is something she’ll only wish on her worst enemy. 

But her worst enemy wouldn’t get to be a contestant on one of the hottest fashion reality shows in Paris, Fashion Forward Junior. It is day 9 of shooting and Marinette still has to pinch her sleep deprived self to make sure that this was not a dream. The opportunity to even be here, to do what she loves and to learn more about the fashion world, is amazing.

Well, getting the grand prize of a full scholarship to a famous fashion school in Paris, 25 thousand dollars and a spread in a magazine would be the icing on top of that amazing cake.

She dragged herself out of bed and tip toes to the toilet, trying to avoid the camera crew as much as possible. Paris could do without footage of her bedhead hair.  
She wondered about the challenge of the day while she tamed her hair into its usual pigtails.

\---  
The contestants walk into a room to see jars of different insects, with their smiling hostess at the centre of the display. Marinette could hear shrieks and screams of disgust coming from some of the younger girls.   
It was then when their challenge was revealed to be...insect inspired cocktail dresses. The host also added that the winner will be given an invite to a cocktail party held by Gabriel Agreste and the dress will be sold on his website. Gasps and sounds of awe could be heard when the famous Parisian designer was mentioned. His party was sure to have other famous designers on the guest list, and having the chance to schmooze with them would bring unimaginable opportunities. 

And to have their work sold to someone, well, that's an awesome bonus.

“Okay, so you guys will have half an hour to be inspired and sketch then we’ll be heading out to shop for materials. You will have one day to complete this cocktail dress. Now, GO!” People began to get their sketchbooks out as the host finished her sentence. 

“Insects, insects, cocktail dresses...hmm...aha!” yelled Marinette as a jar of ladybugs caught her eye. She stares at the red wings and black dots covering it and an idea starts to form in her mind. She starts sketching, humming to herself as she does so.

\---  
Marinette was happy with the fabric she managed to get. Her vision for this dress was coming together nicely after hours of work. 

“I’m definitely winning this, my dress is so perfect,” said a voice in front of her. Marinette didn’t need to look up to see the owner of the voice.

She and Chloe Bourgeois didn’t see eye to eye ever since she won the first challenge, while Chloe came in second. Chloe had declared that her design was superior, and shouldn’t lose to Marinette’s boring Eiffel Tower inspired skirt.

“As for you, Marinette, you might be going home. A little black dress wouldn’t impress Gabriel Agreste at all,” Chloe comments as she looks at the simple black tube dress on Marinette’s dressform.

Marinette rolled her eyes as she started attaching red chiffon to the dress.

“Shouldn’t you be perfecting your ‘simply perfect dress’, Chloe? I’m kind of busy right now,” she replied. 

A blond teen stepped into the room before Chloe could reply.

It was Adrien Agreste, part time model and son of Gabriel Agreste. _With his stupid green eyes, wide smile and stupidly golden hair_ ,thought Marinette. Some of the girls in the room started swooning a little.

“Hello everyone! I’m Adrien Agreste, and I’m here to take a look at your progress. I’m no expert in fashion designing, but I’ve worked in the fashion industry for years. Hopefully I’ll be able to help you guys meet my dad’s high standards.”   
Marinette was very sure this was only done to make the show more interesting or as the producers put it, “something for the viewers to eat up”. She felt like she was 14 again. She used to spend a lot of time gushing over him while her friend, Alya shook her head at her hopeless crush. 

She is 17 now. She can speak to him coherently without blushing and stuttering. Or fainting.

Hopefully.

\---  
By the time Adrien reaches her worktable, Marinette has finished attaching the chiffon to the dress with pins (and might’ve poked herself a few times). 

_Okay, he's coming over to my table, she thinks to herself, act cool, act coo —_

"Well, hello there. Care to tell me what you're working on?" 

Marinette jumps, making a sound that she is sure is a high pitched squeak.

_So much for acting cool._

She turns around slowly, silently praying to some higher power that she will not embarrass herself further. She could hear Chloe snickering.

"Hi, Mr Ag-Agreste!"

"You can call me Adrien."

 _Come on, Marinette_ , she thinks. _Get it together._

"Okay, uh, hi, Ad-Adrien. I'm Mari-Marinette, and this is my ladybug inspired cocktail dress. The structure of the dress was, uh, inspired by its wing structure, you see. I wanted it to be in red and uh, black, for obvious reasons."

She starts to be a little more confident as she explains her dress. The fact that Adrien nodded as she did so was a good sign, she hoped. 

"You seem to be making good progress, Marinette. Though if I were you I might rethink the open back. Good luck!" was the reply she got from him. He winks at her before moving to the next table.

Marinette continues working on her dress, tacking pins here and there. She tries to not think about how green Adrien's eyes were. Or that he winked at her.

If she dwells too much on that, she'll probably combust.

\---  
Marinette felt like sleeping at herchair.

Sadly, she couldn't, as it was time for the models to walk down the catwalk in the contestants' dresses. And the judges will be watching.

She also had the fortune, or the misfortune, to sit right in front of the Gabriel Agreste's sight line. He was sitting on a similar chair, brows furrowed as he was jotting down notes on his tablet, looking up occasionally. She'll look really unprofessional if her face shows any sign of tiredness.

"Shooting will start in 10 minutes!" Marinette hears someone yell. She rubs her eyes again. She looks to her left to see Adrien, watching behind one of the cameras. He winks at her direction and she can feel herself blush. 

_Get a grip, Marinette! He could be winking at someone else_ , she mentally yells at herself. 

She turns to his direction again to see him mouth, Good luck, Marinette! 

Marinette could feel he face turn redder as she realised that yes, Adrien was winking at her and wishing her luck.

"Okay, places, everyone! We'll be shooting in 5, 4, 3, 2..." someone yells behind the camera.

Marinette sits up, preparing to watch the models walk down the catwalk.

\---  
_Hmm, my second time in the top three, not too bad._

Marinette was proud of her work. After she explained her design choices, the hostess commented that she would wear the dress. The other judges expressed their approval with the way the dress moved, the detailing and the structure.

She looks at Gabriel Agreste, wondering what he would say.

He looks at her model critically and stares at her.

"The dress is well made. A lot of thought was definitely put into the design and the detailing."

Marinette tries to keep her grin off her face. _Surely there must be some criticism. It is Gabriel Agreste after all._

"However, I would place the zipper at the side of the dress. That would make the design neater. I'm also not a fan of the fact that you decided to not incorporate the ladybug's black dots into the dress. That is a lazy way to ensure that your dress looked more sophisticated. Some improvements should be made but the dress has a lot of potential to be a success, " Gabriel Agreste continues.

Marinette nods at the valid criticism.

As the judges move on to the next contestant, Marinette looks to her left to see Adrien give her a thumbs up with a wide smile.

She smiles back, wondering why Adrien was being so supportive.

\---  
Marinette comes in second, and she isn't mad. Juleka's spider inspired dress was a worthy dress to lose to.

"Hey, Marinette! Wait up!" she hears someone yell as she starts to walk off the set.

She spins around, facing Adrien Agreste.

Again.

She clears her throat, trying to get herself together.

"Oh, uh, hi, Adrien."

Adrien scratches his neck, clearly embarrassed. In that moment, he looked more like a shy teenage boy rather than a model.

"Look, Marinette, uh, it sucks that you lost. I was rooting for you, you see. And uh, my dad is having that party, and I was wondering whether would you, uh, want to be my plus one?"

Marinette couldn't help but smile at his nervousness.

She places a hand on Adrien's shoulder and replies, "Yeah, I'd like that."

After a few moments, she asks, "Why me, though? There's loads of other girls here. Also, is this allowed? Like, me going to a party I don't get to go."

"Well, don't tell anyone, you guys will be getting the weekend off, which will be when the party is. And I got permission on your behalf."

"But ...how?" Marinette ignores his lack of response to her first question, chalking it up to him being nervous and in a hurry.

"I have my ways. Don't worry, I promise to take responsibility for any problems that may come up. I'll pick you up at 6 this Saturday, alright? See you around...princess."

Adrien winks at Marinette for the third time in the past forty eight hours, and she thinks, _yup, definitely going to combust soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So this is my first Miraculous Ladybug fanfic and first post on AO3. I hope you guys enjoyed it.


	2. Sparks Fly

Marinette stared at her lap, trying hard not to freak out at the thought of her current situation.

She, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, was in a limo with Adrien Agreste, who personally invited her to his dad’s cocktail party. Which will probably be filled with the elite of the fashion world, ready to scrutinise her and she’ll trip and do something really embarrassing...

Slow down, Mari, you can do this. Breathe, she thought to herself. She could almost imagine Alya shaking her, repeating this to her.

“Marinette, are you okay? You look like you’re panicking.” Adrien asked, face full of concern.

“I’m f-fine! Totally fine!” was all she managed to stutter out.

“It’s okay if you’re not. A cocktail party held by my father can be a bit...intimidating. Don’t worry, you’ll definitely be okay. I’ll give you some pointers here and there.”

“Thanks! Your dad is terrifying.” Marinette’s face turned scarlet as she mentally slaps herself.

“Heh. That’s not the first time I heard that,” Adrien replied, sensing her embarrassment. The driver grunts, and Adrien nodded. “Oh. We’re here.” He looked at Marinette while placing a hand on her shoulder. “You ready?” She nodded.

Adrien extended a hand to her as they got down from the car.

\---

The party was in full swing when they arrived. The place was elegantly decorated with swathes of fabric draped on the walls and lounge music playing in the background. People were conversing with drinks in their hands. 

“Okay,” Adrien said, interrupting her train of thought. “I didn’t tell you this earlier, but, um, my father wants to see you. So I’ll bring you to him and then we can probably get a drink and introduce you to a few other people. Come on. ”

They walk towards a corner where Gabriel Agreste was standing, quietly talking a woman with hair pinned up in a french twist and glasses on the bridge of her nose.

“Father, Marinette is here.”

Gabriel turned around after dismissing the woman.

“Ah, Ms Dupain-Cheng. It is wonderful to see you again. Did you make this dress?” he asked, gesturing to Marinette’s dark blue dress. He walks around her to get a look of the whole outfit.

“Yes, Mr Agreste.”

“I expected nothing less from a talented lady like you. The lace on the sleeves, the mandarin collar, the material used, it definitely gives this dress a sophisticated feel. You have the laboring hands of a true designer.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“When I saw your creation the other day, I knew you had potential. It’s a little rough around the edges, yes, but with some guidance, I believe you may have what it takes to enter the fashion world.” Gabriel took a card out of his pocket before continuing. “After the competition, whether you exit as the winner or not, I would like you to see me. Contact the number on the card and ask for Nathalie Sancoeur. She will be the one making the arrangements,” he continues before giving her the card.

“Yes, Mr Agreste,” replied Marinette, trying to not let her jaw drop.

“Enjoy the party, Ms Dupain-Cheng. I look forward to our next meeting. I suggest you bring your portfolio with you. We may have a lot to discuss.”

As soon as he was out of sight, Marinette turned to Adrien, eyes wide with shock due to what had happened. “Did...did you see that?!” 

“I’m so happy for you, Mari,” he pauses, embarrassed at the slip up. “Oh, uh, can I call you Mari? Or would you prefer ‘Princess’?” he asked while waggling his eyebrows.

She giggled. “Mari is fine. My friends call me that back home.”

“Come on then, Mari. I have some people you’ll want to meet.”

They weaved through the crowds until Adrien pointed to a man and a woman.

“There they are,” he mumbled. “Mari, this is Tikki and this is Plagg,” he said while gesturing to a red haired woman and a tall black haired man. “Tikki, Plagg, meet Marinette.”

“Ah, so this is the Marinette we’ve been hearing about, Plagg,” said Tikki teasingly. She stretched out her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet the person Adrien has been talking about for the past few days.”

“Adrien...has been talking about...me?” Marinette stuttered as she shook Tikki’s hand. 

“Absolutely! It has been getting on my nerves. I might’ve been tempted to tousle his hair unneccesarily to get him to stop,” Plagg replied.

“Plagg and Tikki are stylists at my father’s company. They’ve had a hand in most of his runway shows, and as you can see, they love to embarrass me,” said Adrien.

“I see. It must be awesome — ah!” Marinette nearly yelps at the sudden coldness at her right side.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. I did not see you there!” 

Marinette looked up to find the source of the voice. She tried to not slap the face next to her. Chloé Bourgeois. Of course it was her. It was clear to Marinette from the her exaggerated shock and failed attempt at hiding her smile that she was anything but apologetic. 

Tikki stepped forward and turned to Chloé. “Hello Miss Bourgeois, nice to see you again! Adrien, why don’t you keep Miss Bourgeois company while I help Marinette with her wardrobe problem?” She grabbed Marinette by the shoulders and began to push her to the toilet.

\---

“Honestly, one of these days, I’m going to throttle that girl.”

“Um, Tikki? I know you want to help, but the fabric is really delicate. So, maybe you should be gentler with the scrubbing?”

Tikki looked up, clearly embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, Marinette. Something about Chloé always fires me up.” She sighs. “It’s an unfortunate fact that I can’t offend her as her father is a huge investor of Mr Agreste’s company.” 

She stood up while patting the skirt of the dress. “The dress seems fine. It’s a good thing that Chloé only spilled water on you.” Tikki patted Marinette on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get back out there. Adrien may need some saving,” she said with a grin.

\---

“We’re back! And where did Miss Bourgeois go?” asked Tikki.

“Oh, her dad took her to meet some people. I think she’s going to intern with them or something,” Plagg answered between sips of his drink. 

Adrien turned to Marinette and smiled. “Hey Mari, um, would you like to come with me? I’ve got something to show you.” He stretches out his hand, waiting for her answer.

Tikki grinned and nudged Marinette to respond. 

She slipped her hand into Adrien’s.

“Sure, Adrien. Lead the way.”

\---

He led her outside on a balcony and she sees Paris at night, with lights twinkling and the Eiffel Tower in it’s glory.

“Do you like the view?” Adrien asked.

Marinette’s heart was close to soaring. Here she was, under the night sky with Adrien Agreste. “Yes. It’s reminds me of my balcony back home. I could see Paris like this almost every night.” She smiled at the memory of the many nights she sat on her balcony with a cup of hot chocolate.

“That sounds nice.”

“It is, you should come over sometime and see it for yourself.” Marinette’s eyes widened at what she just said. “That is, if you want to,” she quickly added.

Adrien’s smile was playful. “I’d love to. It sounds like a date.”

Marinette blushed. She quickly changed the subject. “So, Adrien, why did you pick me as your plus one?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m curious. I mean, of all of the girls at the studio that day, you asked me.”

“Well, if you must know, you interest me, Princess.”

“Me? Interest you?”

“Yes. You’re really talented, really genuine, and out of all the female contestants that day, you were the one of the few who didn’t swoon.”

“I was really nervous, believe me.” Marinette almost laughed at the thought of how she behaved the other day.

“But that’s the thing with you. You have a passion for this industry. It helps that you’re cute when you’re trying to not be flustered.”

Marinette’s blush returns.

Adrien looked at his watch. “It’s getting late, and you should probably be getting back by now. Can’t have you not fully rested for your next challenge.” He patted her in the shoulder. “I’m rooting for you, Princess.” 

“Can you please stop with the Princess?”

Adrien grinned. “Never. It makes you blush a lot.”

Marinetts’s blush turned a deeper shade of red. She hated that this boy had such a huge affect on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really happy to see you guys enjoyed the first chapter. I never really intended for that to be more than a one shot so I hope you liked this continuation. I apologize if the characters were ooc.
> 
> That'll be the last you'll see of this AU. But don't fret! Check out this [fanfiction](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6095266/chapters/13971763) written of a similar AU by inkkerfluffle if you haven't already.
> 
> Say hello to me on [tumblr](introvertednerd.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So this is my first Miraculous Ladybug fanfic and first post on AO3. I hope you guys enjoyed it.


End file.
